Killer Jobs: 10 Painful Professions

May 19, 2008

Page 5 of 8

Pain on the Digital Frontier

Their fingers rhythmically tap and tap and tap on the keyboard -- letter after letter rapidly forming word after word. And when they click "publish post," their words are transported to a new realm: the blogosphere.

For some people, blogs are leisurely Internet diaries. But for full-time professional bloggers who earn their living on the number of posts they publish and the popularity of their site, every word counts.

Kim Stagliano, managing editor of the blog Age of Autism, describes the blog world like a game of cat and mouse. Everything is faster on the Internet -- and bloggers feel the need to catch up.

Sean Conroy, director of pain management services at Beaumont Hospitals, said bloggers are the extreme version of any administrative work that requires using a computer because bloggers spend more time locked in one place.

"Many people who read computer screens lean forward and tilt their head up, causing back, neck and jaw strain," Conroy said. "Typically we don't think of bloggers and jaw pain."

"Blogging has made me less healthy," said Stagliano, who said she drinks more coffee and lost weight because she does not eat full meals during the day. "My eyes get buggy, and I have to take a walk to get away sometimes."

Although Stagliano said she understands the physical health concerns from a job where the only movements she may experience on some days are her fingers pressing keys, Stagliano said she has prepared herself for long days in the blogosphere.

Sacrificing It All for the Shot

This time Racki, 48, played a cop on a high-speed car chase. The car he chased was supposed to screech to a stop, and Racki's cruiser was to stop right behind the car. A tractor-trailer then slams into his cruiser. The impact should have launched Racki through the windshield and only a few feet through the air before he landed on the ground. But even though Racki rehearsed his scene numerous times, it still went wrong.

This time the cameras were rolling.

"I'll never forget being thrown 20 feet in the air, flying forward about 50 feet and thinking I'm not supposed to be this high up," Racki said.

Racki tore ligaments in his arm and leg and partially dislocated his hip. In the stunt world, Racki said, his injuries are equivalent to a few bumps and bruises.